Writing About Political Science
I.
General Purpose
Political scientists study the interactions between different power groups and their desire to
have those interests heard and their needs recognized. These struggles can either be on a
local scale or on an international platform. The writing in political science attempts to
rectify issues of power and to identify the underlying relationships between groups who
battle for power and recognition of political goals. Political scientists create hypotheses and
develop theories to better understand how interactions between power groups evolve.
Writers may develop theories of how politics works; study political behavior of institutions;
analyze fundamental concepts (such as power or democracy); explain political relationships,
predict outcomes, or explicate power struggles between rivals and allies on local, national,
and international scales; or examine how governments make decisions and how policies are
implemented. Political theorists may also write about the relationships that exist between
political entities. Audiences vary in political science from the general public, educators, and
peers, to administrators, politicians, and lawmakers, plus those involved in political action or
those who are merely interested in politics. Writers should be aware of the goals and aims
of the audience(s) and also be cognizant of the purpose(s) of their writing.
II.
Types of Writing
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III.
Abstracts (Succinct summaries that describe a research problem under
investigation, including methods and findings)
Research paper—which may include these sections:
o Introduction/ Problem/ Methods of inquiry/ Literature Review/
Description & Evaluation of data/ Summary of findings/ Documentation
o Introduction (including the research question)/ Literature review/ Data
& Methods/ Findings/ Discussion/ References/ Appendices (if needed)
Political Theory paper
Case Studies
Proposals
Reviews
Commentary
Types of Evidence
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Empirical data gathered through scientific methods
Qualitative evidence
Quantitative evidence
Methodical and accountable data collection
Hypotheses to explain or test theories
IV.
Writing Conventions
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V.
Writing should be clear, concise, precise, objective and unbiased.
Scientific method is used.
Avoid jargon.
Writing should be gender-neutral.
Present tense is almost always preferred.
First person references may be used, but only sparingly.
Use consistent documentation methods.
Clearly define terms used. (“Operational terms” must always be defined according
to the way the user is using them. For example, “justice” or “freedom” may have
vague, subjective definitions and must be presented precisely so that they can be
tested against a stated hypothesis.)
Vocabulary/ Jargon / Terms
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VI.
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democracy
representation
ideology
liberalism
conservatism
interest groups
sovereignty
state
authority
party system
pluralism
justice
socialism
Communism
Citation Style
American Political Science Association (APSA) recommends the Latest Edition of the
Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) and indicates a preference for the Author-date system
(such as “Smith 1995).” American Psychological Association (APA) may also be used.
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Sources:
APSA Committee on Publications. Style Manual for Political Science. apsa.org, 2006.
Web. 30 April 2014.
http://www.apsanet.org/media/PDFs/Publications/APSAStyleManual2006.pdf
The Writing Center at UNC Chapel Hill. “Political Science.” UNC College of Art and
Sciences. Web. 30 April 2014.
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/political-science/